Gammalite

100% correct. You guys are all on the money in this thread. If you want to WIN a race, you do everything in your power (that is legal) to have the horse 'Feeling great' and going great for that race. You would fully expect a 'range' of treatments would of been administered for Jewels Day. I see no problem. Some are arguing against the costly excercise of joint injection. fair enough. some argue against whips etc fair enough. Personally I argue against the NASAL STRIPS, so often prodominant (and brutally ugly) on Allstars and Dunns horses that others don't have. They obviously work to a degree , judging by results. So why don't they all have them.????? EXAMPLE : Trainer Cam Jones picked one up (a NASAL strip that marked this horse URGENT) from somewhere and applied it to BENSONS MATE in Race 1 at Addington last Thurs 17th june. Check out that race !!!! horse heavily backed . Leaders nose with a strip to suck in air. ! and 'Cheating' driver Newman actually KICKED the horse ! half way up the home straight , to be sure the plunge was gunna come off. NEWMAN 'panicked' for a second there, and even tried running 2nd placegetter out as well in the straight???? lol. a disgrace to 'honest' racing that race was.

Santanna Mach racing in great heart recently winning 3 of last 4 now. so he's not struggling anyway. A Brilliant 10/10 drive by Sarah O'Reilly too ! !, what a great little driver she is. she covered Santanna up for the first lap to save energy , dragging back to last from the horror outside barrier draw. After one lap the leader pulled field up to a Crawl, So Sarah went round from 4 back outside to sit parked LAST LAP only, and dictated the leader CHUCKLES pace for last 1/2 mile (home in moderate 57.7) to win easily. Easy to understand as yet another impressive NZ driver in action.

It's a McCarthy massacre at Brisbane with KING of SWING in easily by 3 lengths jogging, from fellow ex-pat kiwis 'Turn It Up' and 'Spankem' at $1.10 SPIRIT of ST LOUIS also easily by 3 lengths at $1.10 , increasing the value of Sweet Lou's for Jones !! EXPENSIVE EGO (could still be the best) a real beauty !! home by 3 lengths easily at $1.40. Brisbane locals no hope with the McCarthy slaughter. He left ALTA ORLANDO (owned by Dunn's) at menangle for a Group3 , but he got pipped at the post ?? surprise result for me , by another ex=pat Kiwi named BUNDORAN roared home from last place, turning for home!!, wow wee! , to arrive at the line in 1.52 with a devastating sprint for Amanda Turnbull. he now has 8 wins , 4 x 2nds from 15 runs this year , after near nothing in NZ last year ?. so that can only INCREASE Aus demand for even moderate performing NZ horses. so still a good market Jonsey!!

Oh and forgot to mention Sir Mark Todd was part of that NZ equestrian team getting the Silver Medal riding Welton Greylag at Barcelona Olympics 92. Mark had won GOLD medals at the 2 previous Olympic Games riding Charisma to Individual Gold in Los Angeles 84 and Seoul 88. A champion for decades !! and now placing at Royal Ascot !! fantastic.

Sir Mark Todd, what a legend. best kiwi horseman ever? go close. still actually rides TASMAN BAY himself in training at home and Mark is 65 years old ! Talk about hand's on !!! he is amazing. Imagine Chris Waller riding one in training lol....... One of my best memories ever was the Aus- NZ Quinella at the Barcelona Olympics Equestrian team event. The NZ team were way in front going to cross country , a very tough course and spectacular vision. In the winning team Andrew Hoy for Australia rode a NZ bred horse named KIWI , he named in honour of the great Melbourne Cup winner a few years earlier , that Hoy admired greatly , coming from NZ. KIWI roared around the course with fearless aggression and was Ironic the brilliant performance of that horse, got the points, to take the NZ team back to second place and ultimately the Silver Medal. Was a Fantastic Day in history for Australasian horses and horsepeople on the HUGE world stage.

That was Amazing !!! a 7 length win in a FFA , he was like Lazarus last night Winter Cup. super impressive.!! after his many 2nds last year to Chicago Bull , SHOCK WAVE has stepped up to take the mantel of Best on Track.!!! SHOCKWAVE could be the next King of Swing ? best in Australia . WA has churned out a heap of front running Beauties of all time over the years !!! I have seen many lead and win Interdominions ! SAN SIMEON, JACK MORRIS, BALTIC EAGLE, PREAUX CHEVALIER and VILLAGE KID. and my personal favourite was I"M THEMIGHTYQUINN for WA as because he won 3 Interdominions !! and powered home from back in the field for his wins mainly, (and Quinn knocked off champion Queenslander 'Blacks a Fake' to stop that horse winning 5 Interdominion Finals for Nat lol....)

They have a great System with thoroughbred mares now . absolutely smashing it. The big Syndicates of owners sign up and race the fillies and mares for their 'Racing Days' but as a clause of ownership, the horse must be sold at end of career to the big studs , at the Big Broodmare sale once per year. A windfall for all !! the breeders (studs) pick up most of the best mares around. Arcadia Queen and Melody Belle were 2 examples sold this year's sale recently. Breeders are delighted to put them to their star stallions. And the 'Racing' Syndicate members are 'settled' with a handsome Sale price share, as their final fling , even though some might of liked a foal out of their pride of the track themselves, just too many issues in that area, so are paid out. Possibly a way Standardbred colts and mares could have the syndicates 'dissolved' at end of racing career.? A once a year BIG sale where all the studs turn up to buy the stock for their shareholders and profits. That's If they have many syndicate horses in the future years racing. (prob is we do have a lot of geldings in harness though lol.......)

Gorgeous Kate Gath having a chuckle as has spotted lovely Brittany Grahams's 'overdone' Fake Tan. hehehehe lol.

It's a tough one. I was often in 4 person ownership groups and often small issues would arise whether to sell, race ,and in the end , whether to breed from the fillies. (one bloke was a breeder) . Ultimately the better ones get sold as the Aus money , esp WA is pretty good. Spellbound soon to arrive in Brissy for 100k race where a strong chance, so that beats racing for 3rds and 4ths in NZ like HAVTIME is and ultimately PLUTONIUM LADY as well barely paying their way , when both are such talented mares for example. Katrina left HAVTIME at Menangle most of last year for a few wins and 70k earnings, but owners want to SEE their horse race, and no doubt hubby BARRY has cheaper training fees for her (and co-owners) too. !! Lol... Great to see all the Southern mares at Auckland though for the Un-cut gems . was a very good race.

Sounds like it's DANCE TIME for Jonesy ! lol hehehe you are on FIRE tonight. must be all those Hotties you're thinking about. ???? even this thread says it's on fire ! lol.

Brittany is having a drive or 2 tomorrow night too, so won't be doing trackside Sky, or should just keep talking from the gig ??? wire her up . A DOUBLE chance miss too !! as the new trainer from Dec 22nd popped him back in a Claimer in APRIL and he got claimed back by the original owner ! crazy . I didn't see it second time round. SAM is going nicely lately too. I never had one that could run 1.54 lol...

One of the tragedies of NZ harness racing. You could have beaut mares races , BUT they all leave. Take Havtime for example , a year ago she went to the LADYSHIP stakes at menangle worth 200k . But a heap of great kiwi mares turned up and she got 5th or so . raced rest of year for 70k earnings but back there this year , has to race in FAST CLASS and no wins in 10 starts since going home to Barry and Katrina. to Bettor's Heart 1st , Bettor enforce, Princess Tiffany 3rd, and Belle of Montana 4th. They could of all been still racing in NZ . Tiffany has had great season in Aus. Bettor Enforce sold to USA after 2nd in your group1 breeders to Wainui Creek (who went to WA) Spellbound, Amazing Dream now gone. Plutonium Lady will be next, or Folklore,

Just watched replay and you are dead unlucky there. I thought FOLKLORE was in trouble at the 1/2 mile as only had one behind it . It was CHEEZEL !!! how did it win from there ? 4 wide the whole last bend and still kept coming . great effort. Folklore tracked it up to 3rd. But Zac Butcher driving inspired, knew where the Post was. 10/10 drive Zac. from that Horror outside draw.

Jones goes 1 and a half Up !!! Zac Butcher for the north (Jonesy's favourite driver) gets a race to race double. Is he hot? Jones thinks so. For the South Island half a point with CHEEZEL . (All I can afford now is packet of Cheezels after that) lol..... and Desparate for a PLAYBOY big one to try and tie the Scores for Uncut Gems. Current score is North 1 1/2 v the South 1/2 . com'on Playboy . you know what to do.

Jones goes 1 up , and Gammalite gets 'sweet lou all' out of that gem trot. ! Thanks for nothing Ben Hope!! lol..... Not to be detered,, Gammalite is always attacking hard, and just when the other drivers thought he was beat, he would cruise on by !!!!!!!!!!! Have to cut to a KING OF SWING - FOLKLORE - PEMBROOK PLAYBOY treble at $5-1 then .

I was saying that was in fact a Very Low price for quality stock. The West Australians (NZ best buyers ) still swoop on 'Up and running' stock. esp. after 1 southland win, they wisk off to the big smoke. Hall still buys 10 per year and sure Team Bond the same. A Jonesy special at Albion tomorrow. The Sweet Lou gelding SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS is in at $1.35 , !!!! as is with McCarthy now and appears to have half of New Zealand and Australia as the owners !! lol.............. He won his Australian debut in 1.55.2 at the Goulbourn backwater early in month. pretty slick ? should give the Brissy locals some curry , and increase the value of Sweet Lou's ?? lol.....

Thinking of the 10-1 on offer for the Midnight Dash - Folklore - Pembrook Playboy treble??? Gem of a price for 3 great Southerners??

Reckon Mr Dickie at Clevedon, will be pleased picking up TWIST LIKE THIS at the sales for $90,000. Absolute bargain out of the great racemare Twist and Twirl ,so is a halfie to magnificent horse's King of Swing and Bettor Twist. Can it get any 'bettor' than that ? I'd be twisting and twirling waiting for him to race next year. wow.

yes the FFA open is a disgrace. Thank goodness Mark (still owns a 'Turn It Up' share) sent him over , and Spankem. The local breds are a disaster. except for COLT THIRTY ONE . (not in this week) Was chatting with Brodie about the cost of racing a horse earlier in year , and I had spotted SAM IS PERFECTION in a Claimer last christmas , and nearly wrote the cheque. (a 1.54 horse in full flight for just $7000 ) shame I didn't have my gear still , or would of bought him. A FFA for a claimer ?? hahaha ......says 50-1 , but should be 500-1 to beat KING of SWING lol....... 1 311s1 KING OF SWING NZ Belinda McCarthy Luke McCarthy NR120 B1 FR1 $1.40 2 73111 SAM IS PERFECTION Jack Butler Brendan Barnes NR103 B1 FR2 $51 3 47123 KID MONTANA Lola Weidemann Lola Weidemann NR118 B1 FR3 $17 4 55553 WATCH PULP FICTION NZ Chantal Turpin Chantal Turpin NR103 B1 FR4 $34 5 51815 UNCLE JORD Chris Frisby Anthony Frisby NR106 B1 FR5 $31 6 222u1 SPANKEM NZ Darren Weeks Kylie Rasmussen NR120 B1 FR6 $4 7 54s79 TURN IT UP Vicki Rasmussen Shane Graham NR116 B1 FR7 $10

Highfield Princess just won the last race on Day 3 Royal Ascot. 2 more days of great racing to go. she carried Saddlecloth number 30 . wow! they have big fields. !! and big numbers. there was 28 starters in a Straight-line 1400m . amazing awesome sight. the one filly in the race at 18-1, against 27 boys. and she won easy.

As the saying goes ....." LOVE conquers all " ....lol, sorry I thought that was funny anyway lol.

Of course! I did just see some of Nigel at the jewels on facebook as Brodster put us onto it. Thanks for the info about who he is. and he helps with syndicates etc ...what a great effort. Just the sort of bloke harness racing needs. BTW , Spellbound is ready to spring into Brisbane here to grab a 100k mares race. Nathan is in ' 14 day quarantine' in NSW at McCarthy's so he didn't get locked down in Melbourne (which is infected apparently) so she may clash with his new star AMAZING DREAM in that ? Think i'll go along. I want a photo of Krug too, while he's here.

For sure. Like any sport , the participants should be aiming to be involved for fun. as much as the money. Same as any work really. You only live once, so make sure you always are doing something you enjoy I reckon. Racing horses, (like the cost of living expenses) were much cheaper late last century , so am grateful to of been involved then. Not a very worthwhile pursuit these days. (financially) it seems . Some of the high rollers at Ascot seem to be the OIL rich Arabs , having a day out and in most races, (Goldolphin having the Darley stud and huge operations at Newmarket UK and Sydney too) are all competing against each other to be 'Top dog' but at least there pursuit of glory provides a living for hundreds of horsepeople around the world, and they turn out some of the most magnificent Horseflesh on the planet.

The broadcast was going to NZ was mentioned on the coverage. Is quite extroadinary meeting at Royal Ascot over the 5 days straight. Just watching overnight recordings and the tradition and posturing are amazing. Yes a LOT of snobby Millionaires in action , with the trainers and owners and jockeys, but that is the same as the golf or tennis majors. millionaires in action. The horse Power is fantastic. STRADIVARIUS unable to pull off a 4th consecutive Ascot Gold Cup. What a tough race. !! 2 and a 1/2 miles !! STRADIVARIUS was number 4 , in race 4 Ascot, going for 4th Cup........... so was always going to run 4th I guess lol......... The Melbourne Cup winner TWILIGHT PAYMENT was struggling a long way out. doesn't say much for the locals in Aus i'm afraid. Poms are cleaning up a lot of the staying tests now . ZAAKI absolutely smashed em recently in QLD too. Thank goodness we have the great kiwi mare VERRY ELLEEGANT to rely on , with her great efforts (current Caulfield Cup holder anyway) Hope they set her for the Melbourne Cup again, to give southern hemisphere some hope.

Not sure who unhinged is, but hope he gives harness racing a plug. We get ZERO in Qld in the media. Sky channel is only source of media coverage. We had a free to air TV broadcast for One Hour of the 'Blacks A Fake' G1 at Albion in Dec. !!!!!!!!????? I nearly dropped the cat and choked on my cookies with shock.! hadn't seen a free to air broadcast since BEAUTIDE won the Interdominion at Menangle in 2015. !! racing thoroughbred horses are on free 24 hours per day / free to air. KING of SWING (Bettor twists older brother won that race) I know how Brodie and some feel about Allstars NZ domination to a degree , as McCarthy has turned up for ALBION tomorrow night and is in five races. (WHich he will WIN easily ) with King of Swing and Co. The poor locals will be smashed to pieces by the Super-stable.